A tour group, led by Jarrod Taylor, of five locals and some Germans, recently made the journey to Korea for a week-long seminar and workshop with Korean practitioners at a Hapkiyusul Global Dojang training facility in Korea.The group of locals was made up of Bill Taylor, Adele Smout and her partner Michael from Coorabell, as well as Claire and Hamish Brace, members of the Murwillumbah Hapkiyusul club.
Hapkiyusul Global was first founded by Jarrod Taylor in the Byron Bay region back in October 2023, after he had spent over 20 years learning Hapkiyusul from Dojunim Kim Yun Sang. Jarrod has conducted regular seminars in South Korea and the USA.
The owner of the Dojang, Mr Hwang Euidok, specifically built the Dojang at his bathroom supply distribution warehouse for the primary purpose of keeping his staff healthy and happy. They arrive at work at 6.30am, practice for 90 minutes, then he provides them with breakfast, which they eat together at a dining area attached to the Dojang, then discuss that day’s scheduled business activities.
Initially, the staff were far from impressed when they had to start work so early to do Hapkiyusul, but after a period of time, Mr Hwang started to notice a growing enthusiasm as the staff members’ body aches and pains started to diminish and the vibe at work became more harmonious.
Mr Hwang has decided to follow the Hapkiyusul Global practice method and style because he has found it provides safe low impact on the body and joints, stress-free, completely holistic practice method, while preserving the highly effective self-defence aspects. He has been really impressed with how the regular practice has improved the overall wellbeing of his staff. The effects have been so well noticed that even some of his clients join the morning sessions. These benefits include being much better able to handle stressful situations, body maintenance, strengthening the lower back and joints, increased muscle tone while increasing joint mobility, increased stamina and vitality, increased appetite, particularly in the morning, improvement in digestion, weight loss, and a general increase in satisfaction with life and their working environment. The practitioners in Korea range from their early 20s to their early 50s in age.
For Adele, who has been training in Hapkiyusul for about 18 months, the trip was very rewarding. She says “Before going I was a bit concerned about practicing twice daily but it wasn’t too bad, although I did need a nap during the day. Training with the Korean workers was fun but their approach was different to ours. We tend to be a bit casual, but they are very precise with their movements. It wasn’t all training as we managed to get out and do a bit of exploring such as visiting the grave of Kim Yun Sang, one of the three founders of Hapkiyusul.”
Murray Hand
